The Best Coleslaw
If you’re looking for the best coleslaw recipe – your search is over! Coleslaw is a classic go-to for summer get-togethers, and the best part? You can easily make ahead!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 226kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded green cabbage about ½ medium cabbage head
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage about ¼ medium cabbage head
- 1 medium-large carrot peeled, trimmed and coarsely shredded (about 1 cup)
- ¾ cup mayonnaise OR ½ cup mayo and ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dried onion powder optional
- ⅛ teaspoon ground paprika smoked or regular, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep vegetables: Place cabbages and carrot in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Make dressing: In a medium measuring jug, whisk all remaining ingredients together until smooth.
- Combine: Pour dressing evenly over cabbage and carrot. Use salad tongs or solved hands to thoroughly toss to evenly coat all vegetables.
- Chill and serve: Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once ready, remove from fridge. Toss again well, check for seasoning and serve.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Vegetables: Feel free to use 1 16-oz bag coleslaw mix in place of the fresh vegetables.
- Seasoning: Onion powder and ground paprika add a layer of flavor, but are optional. Don’t add more salt than the recipe calls for, or the slaw may turn out soupy. Feel free to add celery seed or use celery salt in place of regular salt – it’s a classic in coleslaw dressing, but my kids don’t care for it so I only sprinkle some celery salt over my portion.
Recipe tips
- Shredding: A mandolin slicer creates thinner, even slices. Shredding by hand yields a more rustic salad. Both are fine and depend on your taste!
- Chilling: Coleslaw really shines after it’s had a couple of hours to chill in the fridge, so don't skip.
- Keep it cool: If you’re bringing the slaw to a potluck or a summer party, don’t let it sit out in the sun for long. A neat trick is to put your bowl of slaw inside a larger bowl filled with ice to keep it nice and cool!
- Watery coleslaw? It’s normal and expected for coleslaw to release some water as it sits. If you keep your slaw longer than a day, you can drain off some of the liquid and then stir in a bit of extra mayo or sour cream to touch it back up.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2114IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg